By Dennis Clark
TERRE HAUTE — With two victories under their belt — both occurring far away from the friendly confines of Hulman Center — to begin the season, one might say the Indiana State women’s basketball team is off to a hot start.
And they would be right.
With wins at Kansas State (77-73) and at Furman (62-47), the Sycamores are off to a 2-0 start for just the third time in the past 11 seasons.
The key to this season’s 2-0 record is a hot start in both games.
ISU surged to a 35-21 halftime lead at Kansas State, then withstood a furious rally down the stretch to earn a four-point victory. Just two days ago at Furman, the Sycamores did even better, opening a 34-18 lead by intermission.
ISU senior guard Kelsey Luna is responsible for much of the Sycamores early season success.
Luna was a scoring machine in the K-State win. A career-high 37 points sent her soaring past the 1,000-point barrier for a career. Luna was a stat-sheet stuffer vs. Furman, with 17 points, eight rebounds, eight steals and six assists.
“Kelsey continues to amaze us every day,” ISU coach Jim Wiedie said after the Furman game. “She’s a great playmaker and a great shooter, but then she gets it done on the defensive side too. Defense was her forte in high school, and when you get that type of balanced performance from her, what more could we ask for?”
While Luna has shined brightly, she is receiving solid support from her teammates.
Sophomore guard Deja Mattox tallied 14 points, including three 3-pointers to equal a career high. Sophomore center Shannon Thomas added 11 points and seven rebounds vs. Furman. Thomas also blocked four shots for the second game in a row.
The two victories also enabled Wiedie to become the winningest coach in ISU women’s basketball history. Wiedie now has a 157-108 record early in his 10th season.
• Next opponent new to Division I — South Carolina-Upstate is a new opponent for the Sycamores, just starting its third season in its second stint at the NCAA Division I level.
Current Upstate coach Tammy George came on the scene in 2005-06, inheriting a program that hadn’t had a winning season in seven years. All she did in her first year was snap that streak and the Spartans qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Two years later, Upstate returned to the Division I level. After a rough 5-24 season two seasons ago, George guided them to a much-improved 11-17 last year. Prior to coming to Upstate, George directed Brevard to the NAIA Tournament.
This season, SC-Upstate is 2-1 but found out how tough it is at the upper echelons of Division I on Wednesday. Upstate was thumped 110-63 at No. 12-ranked University of Virginia.
Leading the Spartans is 6-0 junior forward Chelsea McMillan, averaging a double-double at 13.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Also averaging 13.7 ppg is 5-4 senior guard Courtney Hawkins.
• Indiana connection — Lauren McRoberts, a 6-1 freshman, is the only player from Indiana listed on the SC-Upstate roster. She was a member of the 2008 girls state championship team at Carmel High School.
If that last name sounds familiar, she is the cousin of former Carmel, Duke University and current Indiana Pacers player Josh McRoberts.
Lauren is averaging five points and four rebounds coming off the bench for the Spartans in their three games.
ISU at USC-U
Tipoff — 3 p.m. today at G.B. Hodge Center, Spartanburg, S.C.
Broadcasts — TV: None. Radio: WSDM-FM 92.7. Internet: gosycamores.com
Last time out — ISU won 62-47 at Furman on Thursday. SC-Upstate was thumped 110-63 at No. 12-ranked Virginia on Wednesday.
Series — First meeting.
The players
Indiana State Sycamores (2-0) — G Kelsey Luna (5-5, Sr., 27.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 4.5 spg), G Brittany Schoen (5-6, So., 2.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg), G Deja Mattox (6-0, So., 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg), F Kelsie Cooley (6-1, Jr., 7.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg), C Shannon Thomas (6-4, So., 9.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 bpg) are probable starters. G Taylor Whitley (5-9, Fr., 5.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.5 spg), G/F Chelsea Buher (6-0, So., 4.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) will come off the bench.
Coach — Jim Wiedie (157-108 in 10th season at ISU)
South Carolina-Upstate Spartans (2-1) — G Courtney Hawkins (5-4, Sr., 13.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), F Chelsea McMillan (6-0, Jr., 13.7 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg), G Kendra Wallace (5-9, So., 8.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), G Koko Richardson (5-8, Sr., 7.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Lesley Daniel (5-5, So., 4.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.3 apg) are probable starters. G Tee ‘Ara Copney (5-7, Fr., 8.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg), G Sharniece Wadelington (5-7, Jr., 5.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg), F Lauren McRoberts (6-1, Fr., 5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) will come off the bench.
Coach — Tammy George (47-66 in 4th year, 90-94 in 7th overall)
Injuries — For ISU, C Andrea Rademacher (foot) is out; Megan Burton (concussion symptoms) DNP on Thursday; and Meaghan MacDougall (leg) is out.
Keys to the game
n Quick starts have helped Indiana State in their first two games, but the Sycamores need to sustain that momentum in the second half. In their opener, ISU outscored Kansas State 35-21 in the first half, then were outscored 52-42 in the second half. Against Furman, ISU won the first half 34-18, then were nipped 29-28 in the second half.
n Defense has been key in the opening two wins, especially against Furman. ISU limited the Paladins to just 26.3 percent field goal accuracy (20.7 percent in the first half).
Tidbit — Indiana State played before 4,045 fans at Kansas State in the season opening victory, but the “crowd” was just 332 in their win at Furman on Thursday.
Next game — ISU hosts Southeast Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. SC-Upstate travels to South Carolina State the same night.
— Dennis Clark
